Tea is born in the embrace of nature, gathered from the essence of heaven and earth, absorbing the vitality of the sun and moon. From green leaves to the final transformation into the “green” fragrance on one's palate, tea and its green origins are inseparable.
To thoroughly explore the essence of Pu'er tea production processes such as killing the green and sun-Drying, the transformation from fresh leaves to finished product is far more meticulous and sophisticated than one might imagine.
Today, let's delve into the production process of Pu'er tea.
Wilted Fresh Leaves
In the morning mist of tea regions, just as the fog begins to dissipate, tea farmers are already busy in the fields. Red sunlight filters through the misty clouds, draping everything in a golden veil. The dewdrops on the green tea leaves wet the gloves of the pickers.
The freshly picked leaves are bright green and very tender. They need to be set aside to air dry patiently. As time passes, the Water content within the leaves is gradually evaporated by the scorching sun, and the once taut tea stems become limp and lie on the ground.
This process is known as airing, the first step of primary processing and preparation for the subsequent killing the green process. After losing some of their moisture, the leaves become more pliable, making them less likely to break during the killing the green and rolling processes.
During this “lengthy” airing process, the moisture content in the leaves and stems reaches a subtle balance, a process referred to as withering in the industry.
Withering is conducted at low temperatures to ensure that the moisture evaporates naturally, allowing for smooth conversion later on.
After about eight hours, the fresh leaves have completed withering. The farmers watching over them transfer the green leaves in batches to a hot iron pan, a process known as killing the green.
Killing the Green and Rolling
Killing the green can take various forms, including pan-firing, roller processing, steaming, and hot-air drying, but the most common method is pan-firing in an iron pan. This traditional tea-making technique has been passed down in the mountains of Pu'er, Yunnan for nearly a century.
The heat from the flame is transferred to the fresh leaves via the iron pan. The tea master rhythmically pushes the leaves around the pan, creating a harmonious scene of man and nature. The temperature inside the pan is not too high, around 65°C or below. As the tea master continuously stirs the leaves, the moisture evaporates further, and the leaves become more pliable. The original grassy flavor is replaced by a rich tea aroma.
Once the tea aroma develops, the killing the green process is nearing completion. The tea master removes the leaves from the pan and spreads them out on a permeable bamboo tray to cool briefly before the crucial rolling process.
Rolling serves two purposes: macroscopically, it transforms the broad leaves into long strips, giving them the initial shape of raw tea. Microscopically, it breaks down the cell walls of the leaves, increasing the rate at which the internal components are released when steeped.
The rolling master uses both hands to gently roll the leaves in the same direction. After rolling, the semi-finished raw tea is exposed to the sun again. The raw tea is spread out thinly to fully absorb the sunlight.
Sun-Dried Raw Tea
When the color of the raw tea changes from yellowish-green to dark green, it is usually re-rolled to separate clumped leaves and straighten any misshapen ones before being sun-dried again.
After five hours of sun-drying, the tea needs to be collected. At this point, the moisture content is around 10%, ensuring its vitality during transportation and storage.
After the sun-drying, the tea is given a new name: sun-dried raw tea.
High-quality large-Leaf sun-dried raw tea is moderately fluffy, with distinct buds and leaves, robust and slightly elastic to the touch, naturally curled, and a dark green color with a grayish hue. After being steamed and compressed, it becomes the most common form of raw Pu'er tea cake.
The inherent quality of a newly made raw tea determines its future drinking value and aging potential. Mastering these methods for judging the inherent quality ensures you won't be at a loss when collecting and tasting tea.
In general, high-quality new raw tea exhibits four external characteristics: full-bodied and well-balanced Infusion, pleasingly fragrant, potent qi, and robust leaves and stems. The fragrance and infusion are direct expressions, the qi is a comprehensive expression, and the leaves and stems are an external manifestation.
Full-bodied and Well-Balanced Infusion
This aspect includes the infusion and taste. A full-bodied infusion means that it is thick and full, clearly conveying the richness of the internal components and the substances that have been extracted. In contrast, a thin and bland infusion lacks depth.
A rich taste means that the flavors are diverse and layered. In contrast, a hollow and monotonous taste indicates poor inherent quality. Some teas may seem decent at first sip, but upon closer examination, they turn out to be thin and bland, a sign of inferior inherent quality.
Pleasingly Fragrant
The fragrance is an outward extension of the inherent quality, and the inherent quality is the source of the aroma type. However, the fragrance here refers to the dry leaf fragrance, infusion fragrance, Cup fragrance, and leaf base fragrance, among other key olfactory aspects.
Pure, intense, pleasant, and natural are all fragrance traits found in high-quality new raw tea. Some mountain teas have a delightful dry leaf fragrance that fills the room as soon as they are held. When smelling the fragrance, one might encounter new teas with an overpowering grassy scent, often due to flaws in the tea-making process, such as low killing the green temperature or insufficient sun-drying time. Therefore, careful examination is required after brewing.
There are no restrictions on the utensils used for smelling the infusion. The inner surface of the lid of a gaiwan, the public pitcher after pouring, the rim of a tasting cup, or even the remaining leaves after brewing can all be used to engage your senses and smell the fragrance emitted.
In summary, smelling the fragrance is just one method to grasp the inherent quality. Regardless of the method used, it's important to look beyond the surface and feel the inherent quality of the tea through its external appearance in the infusion.